Israeli arms firm says employee who criticised Turkey no longer works there
middleeasteye
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has confirmed that former vice president Shay Gal, who wrote articles calling Turkey 'the next Iran', no longer works for the company. The move comes amid tensions in Israel-Turkey relations and a labour dispute between Gal and IAI.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's leading defence conglomerate, has confirmed that Shay Gal – who wrote numerous articles criticising Turkey while serving as vice president for external relations – has not worked for the company for a considerable period.
In a statement to Middle East Eye, an IAI spokesperson emphasised: “Shay Gal has not been an IAI employee for a considerable time. Any views he expresses do not reflect the company's position, and he is not authorised to speak on behalf of IAI.” The firm also sent a legal warning demanding that Gal remove all references to himself as an IAI vice president from his online profiles.
Over the past year, Gal published articles in outlets such as Israel Hayom, The Times of Israel and Greek media, describing Turkey as the “new Iran” and calling it Israel's next target. One recent piece in Israel Hayom was headlined “Iran was the rehearsal. The Turkish file is open.”
The development comes against a backdrop of already strained relations between Israel and Turkey, exacerbated by disagreements over the Palestinian issue, the Gaza war and Syrian territorial integrity. Nevertheless, the two countries maintain intelligence contacts and a military hotline. Israeli officials insist that Turkey is neither the “next Iran” nor a new enemy.
The case stems from a labour dispute between Gal and IAI. Gal was dismissed in early 2025 after nearly three years as vice president of communications. In a lawsuit filed at the Tel Aviv Labour Court, Gal argued that the company sought to replace him on unfounded and politically motivated grounds. IAI, in turn, accused Gal of inappropriate workplace behaviour, conducting unauthorised press interviews, and using the company's communications apparatus to promote his personal image.
IAI specifically faulted Gal for publishing unsanctioned opinion pieces while still identifying himself as a vice president. Gal defended himself by asserting that under his leadership, the IAI communications department achieved “unprecedented results”, with international media reach valued at more than half a billion dollars annually.
After receiving the legal warning, Gal updated his personal X (Twitter) profile, removing the IAI vice president title. Middle East Eye contacted Gal via LinkedIn and X but received no response.
